Kajiado residents destroy 150 liters of illicit brew

Residents of Mailitisa town near Namanga, Kajiado County on Wednesday evening seized and destroyed 150 liters of second-generation brew that was to be supplied in the area.

The illegal spirits that were transported from Nairobi were packed in 50 carton boxes, each carton carrying 12 bottles of 250 ml.

Senior area Chief Pesi Raphael Sinkira confirmed the incident and sent out a warning to anyone planning on selling the banned  brews in Namanga saying they would face the same fate.

This came just one week after Interior CS Joseph Nkaissery warned administrators that they faced the sack if the areas they are administering are found to have illicit brews.

A resident told Citizen Digital that they had been spending sleepless nights trying to fight the distribution of the brews in the area.

She warned that they would lynch anyone found to be operating the illegal business in the area.

Last year, the crackdown on manufacturers of illicit brews began, as police moved to enforce the directive by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Several raids were carried out in central Kenya counties of Nyeri, Murang’a and Kirinyaga, during which thousands of liters of alcohol were destroyed and several people were arrested.

Just last week about 1000 liters of illicit brew were nabbed and ten people arrested in a joint operation between the police and chiefs in Isiolo County.

The operation that was led by Isiolo Deputy County Commissioner Kipchumba Ruto and local chief Hassan Hakicha targeted several dens near the Isiolo Market.

Speaking to the media, Ruto said chiefs and their assistants would continue with their crackdown in order to eradicate the menace and to ensure that all illicit brewers are arrested and prosecuted

Local chief Hassan Hakicha added that police would intensify the crackdown on illicit liquor, which he claimed had made a comeback in some areas.

However, NACADA chairman John Mututho announced that the authority is working to raise the drinking age limit from 18 to 21 in a bid to ensure students do not indulge in alcohol consumption.

In addition, Mututho challenged alcohol manufacturers to rethink their approach on advertising their products.

By Cynthia Nduta